Chapter 1

“Trample her! This is the wretch who killed Kenneth Graves!”

“If she hadn’t stopped us like a madwoman back then, we would have become stars of the AI world with million-dollar salaries ages ago!”

“She caused Kenneth’s death! She should pay in blood!”

Cerise Tatum’s three-inch heels ground sharply down on my palm.

Ivana Corbin kicked me right in the temple, and a field of red bloomed in my vision.

“Top of the class? You’re just a witch who couldn’t stand the prospect of someone else getting rich!”

Pain, despair, suffocation; those were all the sensations bombarding me.

My eyes shot open as I sucked in great, ragged breaths.

The bright sunlight shining through the window hurt my eyes.

I subconsciously touched my own face. It was unmarred, not wrinkled and puckered as a result of being splashed with hot oil.

I had gone back in time, and it was back to the day we would put in our college applications.

The class representative, Kenneth Graves, was standing at the podium. He was playing a low-quality marketing video using the multimedia equipment.

In the video, a man in a cheap suit was expounding his point to the camera, spittle flying.

“Times have changed, my friends! The best AI models have predicted that, in the next three years, even Ivy League graduates will face a 100% jobless rate!

“What’s the real trend right now? It’s Galaxy Technical College! Once you register for this college, you will be hired into top AI companies upon graduation. Your salary will start from a million dollars a year!”

Kenneth excitedly turned the video off. He addressed the fifty-four-student audience, “Did you hear that, friends? This is what they don’t want you to know! They only want to keep us down!

“We may get into the best colleges, but what would that bring us? Won’t we still be working for someone else? Galaxy Technical College will get us jobs at top companies upon graduation, with salaries in the millions!

“This is our direct ticket to success!”

Whispers erupted among the audience. Some were excited, while others were hesitant.

By silent agreement, everyone looked over at me.

I was the top of the class, with the best grades in the science subjects. My choice would influence theirs too.

I looked at my classmates’ familiar faces and recalled what had happened in the previous timeline. I had been splashed with hot oil and trampled nearly to death.

In the previous timeline, I had stormed onstage and destroyed the sound system and locked the computer system. Then, I had called everyone’s parents and forced them to apply to top colleges.

It turned out that Kenneth had a lot of debts and was late on payments. Since he failed to get commissions from our applications to Galaxy Technical College, he ended up committing suicide.

None of my classmates were thankful for what I had done. Instead, they blamed me for everything and ended up nearly killing me during our graduation gathering.

I would not save them in this current timeline.

I stood up and walked onto the stage as everyone watched in shock. I grabbed the mouse from Kenneth’s hand.

“Kenneth is right!”

I was intentionally loud and used an even more forceful tone than Kenneth. “An Ivy League school is no match for Galaxy Technical College! Times have changed! Studying won’t bring us success!

“Our choice is more important than our hard work. We’re not applying for colleges here. We’re unlocking the key to our future wealth!”

I sat in front of the computer and offered, “Does anyone need help with their applications? I’ll help!”

After a beat of dead silence, the room burst into deafening celebratory cheers.

“Wow, even Georgia Natale agreed!”

“There’s no way this could be a scam if the top of the class thinks it’s a good idea!”

“Even Georgia sees the light!”

Kenneth was so grateful that tears gathered in his eyes. He patted me hard on the shoulder. “Well done, Georgia! I’ll take care of you once we join a top company!”

I smiled and nodded, but my gaze was cold.

“Sounds great, Ken. Our future is in your hands.”